


Little Advice

by orphan_account



Category: The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Bilbo knows politics, Gen, increasing tension, strategy planning sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-15
Updated: 2015-03-15
Packaged: 2018-03-17 23:02:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3547052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kingdoms and families aren't that different from each other...or: Bilbo's idea of how to be a good king.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Little Advice

**Author's Note:**

> Rating: PG  
> Disclaimer: I DON’T own anyone or anything. I DON’T own the characters. The fanfic is written for fun, NOT for profit.  
> Author's note: This is a little, random ficlet, which is actually something I dreamt the other night.

“You have chosen the wrong approach.”

His words, spoken so careless without much thought, echoed through the nearly empty hall. Bilbo winced as he stood still, staring ahead at the man by the large table. Thorin, lifting his gaze from the maps upon maps he had been staring at, frowned at the hobbit's words.

“Have I?”

The expression in the dwarf's eyes, along with the underlying threat in his voice should have made Bilbo retreat. Who was he to question the King? Thorin's inner struggling with keeping a strong stance while preventing yet another battle between supposed allies couldn't be denied, and while nervousness sent a shiver down his spine, departure was not an option. Instead, he stepped closer, swallowing hard as the tension thickened as he approached. He threw a quick glance at the maps and straightened himself.

“If I may?” Bilbo reached for an empty parchment and a quill. He felt Thorin's gaze resting upon him, burning into his skull. He swallowed hard, tried to smile as he spoke, “One mistake most leaders make is the use of an unnecessary amount of dominance. Aggression might lead to submission but not to loyalty, which is what you should aim for.”

He drew a circle on the parchment and split it into differently sized sections. “View this as the entirety of your kingdom. This section here is one you have under your control. Those other ones appear to be smaller, but combined...” Bilbo shifted, nervousness still running through his veins as he felt Thorin stepping closer. A dominance radiated off the dwarf king that could be described as intimidating. Yet there was something else, and that affected the hobbit even more.

“What I'm trying to say...” He drew another circle, this time splitting it into more, smaller sections, all of them more or less equal of size. “If you allowed people in your kingdom a certain amount of independence, you would be surprised by the impact of such a gesture. Don't try to frighten those you already have under control with reminding them why they shouldn't dare to fight you. Don't approach those that haven't fully submitted to your leadership yet with threats and anger. If you treat all of them with more kindness, give them the feeling that you care and that they're equal parts of a whole, people might be more willing to accept you as a king. In times of conflicts, you'd benefit from that...everyone stands loyal to a beloved king. But you would be surprised by how quickly people might rise and unite against one that rules with aggression and arrogance.”

Swallowing again, Bilbo dropped his quill. His heart hammered in his chest as he tried to keep himself straight. But when he finally dared to meet Thorin's gaze, he was surprised to find no anger in his eyes, despite his utterly honest words. Instead, he saw the hint of a smirk tugging at the dwarf's lips.

“I see, Master Baggins, I might have underestimated your understanding of political matters,” he stated.

“Oh, that's nothing.” Bilbo offered an awkward smile, hiding his hands behind his back. “I come from a big family and know how much tyrants are hated, and how easily they lose their power over their fellow family members if they push their luck too far. No one would want to risk that. Family matters and a king's business aren't as different as one might think.” He felt a blush creep into his cheeks as Thorin offered a true smile now. The sensation it caused was worse than nervousness at its best.

“Of course,” the dwarf said, his smirk widening a hint before he turned back to the table and added, “I shall thank Gandalf for putting a man of so many talents by my side.”

Bilbo opened his mouth to answer, but no words came past his lips as he felt his face heating up all the more. “At your service,” was all he managed to say. His heart beat faster once more, but no longer was fear to blame for it.


End file.
